I Bet
by LovelyLovelyLove
Summary: After arresting the proclaimed 'Light of the Fairies', Lahar should feel over the moon for finally nailing the guild with something. But the more he talks to Lucy, the more his set veiws start to falter. And when she somehow convinces the council to force him to join the guild temporarily to try and change his mind, she bets him that he will find something he would never expect.
1. A Chance

**So I don't really know what this is. It just came to me and I'm running with it.**

 **Don't know if that's a good thing, but whatever.**

 **Probably not going to put too much plot in this, but I might. I don't even know.**

 **Enjoy! (hopefully)**

Captain Lahar liked to believe he was a simple man. He enjoyed the simple things in life. Like sitting down with a steaming cup of tea and a good book. Taking evening strolls through the park.

Never in his twenty-seven years of life did he feel as though something was amiss. He enjoyed the peace solidarity brought.

Unfortunately, Doranbolt disagreed with this. Loudly.

"I'm telling you man, you just need a lady around." He said as they made their way to their designated pick-up location.

A group of bandits had been apprehended by a Fairy Tail mage and were apparently 'hog tied and awaiting arrest.'

Aside from his usual indignation for the guild and all of its members, Lahar was left curious as to why a single mage felt compelled to hog tie an entire group of bandits. Why not just tie them up normally?

The raven-haired man huffed an irritated sigh. "Doranbolt, for the last time I do not need a woman. I do not need to get laid. I do not need to _get some_. I am perfectly fine with the way my life is and you need to deal with it."

Doranbolt just rolled his eyes. "Bullshit. You're too straight-laced. To be honest, you're kind of a total stick in the mud. A woman in your life would loosen you up."

Lahar opened his mouth, a retort at the tip of his tongue, when he noticed the state of the town. As he looked around, the words and conversation forgotten, he felt his ire spike.

Holes, deep almost never ending holes littered the streets. Some buildings and shops were in shambles. And for heaven's sake why was everything wet?

The more they walked, the more waterlogged the area appeared. By the time they arrived they were ankle deep.

"Holy shit, they weren't kidding!" Doranbolt said, sounding highly amused.

Sure enough, there the bandits sat. Hog tied and gathered in a small field, most of them unconscious.

"Mest!" A feminine voice called.

Lahar turned as the source of the voice limped to the group of Rune Knights.

She was a small woman, slender in some areas and definitely not in others. Her hair, he noticed against his own will, was the color of golden wheat and hung to her waist. It contrasted greatly with her deep mocha eyes. But besides all that, it was obvious she had taken a great beating. Her clothes were in tatters, barely containing her bust. Several deep gashes and bruises marred her pale skin. And yet, despite her split lip, she was smiling radiantly at his partner's arrival.

"Crap Lucy, you look like shit!" Said partner cried as he moved to meet her half way.

The blonde raised a slender brow. "Just what every woman craves to hear."

Doranbolt chuckled and helped her sit back down on the grass as the rest of the Rune Knights started loading up the bandits.

"I see they gave you some trouble. Why isn't your team here?"

Lahar stood by watching curiously as the two conversed, trying desperately to place where he had seen the woman before.

"I wanted to try something new. I'd never tried a solo mission before and I thought it would be a good idea. As for the trouble… the job request failed to mention that the bandits were mages, so I was unprepared. But hey, I did it, right?" She chirped.

Lahar's eye twitched. Yes the blonde mage completed her job, but in true Fairy Tail fashion, she caused quite a bit of property damage and didn't seem to notice or care.

"Still, Natsu is going to take one look at you and never let you go on your own again." Doranbolt said, and the blonde just sighed dejectedly.

However, at the name 'Natsu' Lahar's hands clenched into tight fists. He realized just who the little blonde was.

Lucy Heartfilia. Celestial mage of Team Natsu, the most destructive team of the most destructive guild in Fiore.

Looking around, an idea suddenly struck him.

"Lucy Heartfilia." He said seriously, trying to hide the joy he felt at the moment.

Said blonde turned to him and smiled, completely misreading the situation.

"Hello, Lahar." She said sweetly, giving him a little wave.

He ignored it. "I have to ask, why are there deep holes in the streets?"

She suddenly turned sheepish, "Uh, that would be one of my Spirits. Virgo tends to get a little overzealous, but it's always helpful to the situation."

Lahar nodded before he continued. "And the water damage?"

Lucy's cheeks turned pink and she looked away in embarrassment. "Another one of my Spirits. She gets a little…angry when she's summoned so she ends up going a little overboard."

Doranbolt at this point, was watching him curiously.

The Captain smirked slightly, and his partner shot him a glare that clearly said 'don't you dare.'

"Then I'm afraid that you, Lucy Heartfilia, are under arrest for causing mass property damage."

The Fairy Tail mage gaped at him from where she still sat on the grass.

"If you'll please stand and cooperate, we will be escorting you to Headquarters."

In a daze, she slowly rose to her feet with Doranbolt's assistance.

As he was about to cuff her wrists with the magic nullifying restraints, she seemed to snap out of it.

"You need to understand something, Lahar." She said with a seriousness that he didn't know a Fairy could possess.

"And that is?" He questioned, a sinking feeling forming in his gut.

"I understand that Fairy Tail causes a lot of destruction. And yes, some of it is because we aren't as careful with our magic as we should be. But a lot of it comes from fighting the enemy, or the enemy causes it themselves. Fairy Tail has taken on some of the toughest foes. We've saved the world, saved magic. Have you ever considered that we cause the most destruction because we take on the biggest opponents?"

She paused and looked at him pleadingly. "If you arrest me right now, it will greatly impact my magic. All of the contracts I hold with my Spirits will be null and void. I love my Spirits, they are my family and I would give my life for them. So think about what you're doing. Are you willing to do this to me over property damage that will be paid for by me or my guild, just because you don't like us?"

Lahar was conflicted for only a few seconds. He wasn't stupid. The Fairies needed to learn that actions had consequences and she couldn't talk him out of it.

So he cleared his throat.

"Lucy Heartfilia, you are under arrest. As I said before, we will be escorting you to Headquarters. Your guild will be notified after we arrive."

He dropped her gaze as her wide brown eyes filled with tears, instead focusing on restraining her wrists.

"Captain Lahar, you can't be-" Doranbolt started, but Lahar cut him off.

"I am serious, Doranbolt. Now, Miss Heartfilia. You can either ride in the transport vehicle or walk with us. I'm only giving you the option because all of the bandits were males and it is against protocol to allow you to be alone with them."

His partner spoke up before she could. "I will carry her. She's hurt, Lahar."

"Very well." Turning around to escape the man's glare and the now silently sobbing Celestial mage, Lahar strode away.

He wanted this. He had dreamed of the day where he'd have the opportunity, no matter how small, to get the Fairies somehow.

The day had finally come. He should be happy. Ecstatic.

But hearing what the small blonde had said. Looking into her eyes as they welled with tears.

Captain Lahar couldn't shake the feeling that he had just made a big mistake.


	2. Backlash

**Hey guys! Sorry it took FOREVER to get this posted. This fic probably won't be updated as often as Snap Crackle and Pop, but I will try my best.**

 **Also, just wanted to say that the stuff on contracts breaking if a Celestial mage gets arrested, I actually found on Wikia. I originally wanted it to be something she put in her contracts, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered "Wait, isn't that already a thing?" So I looked it up and it is a thing! Yay for things! Unless you're Lucy right now.**

 **I also didn't really know what to do about the Magic Council, so I honestly didn't go into much detail with that. You'll see. I'm a lazy bum.**

 **Thank you to those that have fav/followed/reviewed. I appreciate all of you!**

Lucy stared dejectedly at the floor of her cell. Mest had carried her on his back the entire trip back to Era. He even tried convincing Lahar to keep her in his office instead of an actual cell, but the man had steadily refused.

"We can't give her special treatment just because she is your friend, Doranbolt." He had stated matter-of-factly.

She wondered what it was that she had done for this man to hate her so much. Was he really that upset that there was some damage to the town? It really wasn't all of her fault! The requester had failed to mention that the bandits were mages. The fight had been intense, and she almost lost. But then, in a last-ditch effort, she had summoned Aquarius from her water bottle. The mermaid was so angry, she flooded the entire town. But it had the desired effect, as it had washed away the remaining bandits as well.

Above all, Lucy was more concerned about regaining her contracts. It was common knowledge among Celestial Spirit mages that contracts between Spirit's and their mages can be broken if that mage releases them, dies… or is arrested.

She hoped that her Spirit's felt the same way she did, and viewed her as family.

Lucy was honestly terrified of losing them, and didn't know what she would do if she did.

All she knew was that when she got out of this place and got her keys back, she had a lot of groveling to do.

"Lucy? You doing ok? Do you need anything?"

The blonde looked up and met the concerned turquoise eyes of her only friend in the godforsaken place.

"I'm fine. A little sore. Any word on when Master and Wendy will get here?" She asked softly.

He had informed her right away that when the guild was called, there was an uproar. Mest had made sure to pipe in that she had injuries, but was refusing treatment for the time being. Apparently, Wendy had thrown a fit and had all-but demanded that she go with Master. He said Makarov was too afraid of the normally soft-spoken bluenette to refuse her.

Lucy didn't want to be treated for her injuries. Not here anyway. In all honesty, she had suffered worse and could suck it up for the time being. The only thing she had accepted was some painkillers. Her ribs were aching terribly, and she was starting to think one or two of them were broken.

Mest crouched down so he was at her level. "We just received word from Mira that Wendy and Makarov left the guild as soon as your team was restrained and got on the first available train. They should be here in a few hours."

She nodded at him and continued her study of the floor. "Thank you."

A few moments passed and she looked up to find him still there, a contemplative look on his face.

"Was there something else?" She asked, and the man jumped, startled out of whatever plagued him.

"Well yeah…" He started hesitantly.

"Ok? Go ahead, Mest."

The raven-haired man sighed. "Look…Lahar isn't. He's not…ugh. Believe it or not, Lahar is my best friend. He really isn't a bad guy, or else I wouldn't be friends with him. But when it comes to work, he's a huge stickler for the rules. In his eyes, Fairy Tail helps, yes, but they destroy things on a near daily basis. He acknowledges all the good you guys do, he really does, but he can't get past the amount of destruction you guys have also caused and continue to cause. All he sees, is a group of mages who reap destruction and get away with it without so much as a slap on the wrist. He thinks you guys don't even care.

"All he wants if for Fairy Tail to understand that actions have consequences. That the rubble around you after a fight used to be someone's home. Or maybe a business they had spent their entire lives working to achieve."

Lucy stared at him with wide watery eyes, guilt coursing through her.

How many homes? How many lives had they unintentionally destroyed?

Image after image of the destruction left in the wake of Team Natsu flashed through her mind, and it made Lucy feel like she deserved to be exactly where she was.

Mest shook his head, as if knowing where her thoughts were heading.

"Lucy, no. While I agree to an extent, Lahar went too far this time. Even the mayor of that town is against your arrest and has been here raising hell since he found out, along with some of the townspeople. We actually had to raise our security because of all the trouble Lahar has brought on by his actions. Sabertooth is pissed. Blue Pegasus is pissed. Lamia Scale is pissed. Mermaid Heel is pissed. Even Quatro Cerberus is angry, something about the drunk of your guild being in a relationship with the drunk of their guild, so he's mad because she's mad. There's even a rumor floating around that the Princess herself is furious.

"It's safe to say that you will be released as soon as Makarov gets here…" he trailed off.

Lucy was stunned. That many people were upset over this? That many people cared about her?

Warmth flooded her chest, but the look on Mest's face said there was more he wasn't telling her.

"There's something else, isn't there?" She asked and he looked up at her surprised.

"Well you see, since there's this much of a backlash over your arrest, the Council isn't happy. They don't want this escalating any more than it has, and that means they have to do something about it. And since Lahar was the one who made the arrest…"

Lucy gasped, and he nodded sadly.

"They want to see him privately as soon as you've been released."

"But that isn't right!" She cried.

Sure, the man had arrested her for something minor in comparison to what her gildmates had done in the past. Sure, she had made perfectly clear what would happen if he went through with it. But she trusted Mest, and if he said he was a good person underneath it all, she believed him. Not only that, but she could see where Lahar was coming from.

She vowed right then and there that she would be more conscious of her surroundings in battle, and she would work to make her friends do the same.

Lucy stood, wincing when the movement jarred her ribs, and looked at Mest with determination.

Seeing her expression, Mest scrambled to his feet, pitying whoever would have to face her later on.

"Mest, after I am released I need you to stall the meeting until I get there. I don't know what I'm going to do just yet, but I am going to fix this." She declared.

The raven-haired man smiled at the small blonde, his worries over his friend lessening. Looking into her determined brown eyes, he just knew she would do exactly that.

"I'll do my best, Lucy."

}{}{}{

Captain Lahar resisted the urge to pace outside of the door. He wasn't an imbecile. He knew exactly what was going to happen. But he still had his dignity.

So instead of pacing, he took a seat in one of the stiff chairs that lined the corridor and held his head high.

It wasn't right. He knew that the arrest he made was well within his rights to do so. It was absurd that the Council would stoop to pleasing the masses instead of following the law. All because of one little girl. Well, woman. While small, even he couldn't deny her maturity.

But that was beside the point.

Lahar knew that her arrest would upset Fairy Tail, but he never would have guessed this many other guilds and the _Princess_ of all people would rise to her defense.

Mages had started gathering in crowds in mere hours after Makarov was contacted.

Guilds from all over, banding together, roaring for her release. Even deep within headquarters, he could hear them as they cried for her freedom.

It was infuriating.

He had known the moment Makarov arrived before he had even entered the building because their cries of outrage turned into cheers and applause.

"Captain Lahar, It's time."

Looking up, he was surprised to find his partner leaving the room he was about to enter.

Doranbolt gave him a sad smile before hurrying down the hall.

Lahar nodded and rose to his feet, silently following behind the employee.

Despite his resolve to keep his dignity intact, he felt his hands begin to tremble.

He didn't want to lose his job. It was really the only thing he had. If he lost this, he didn't have a clue what he would do with his life.

The employee led him to stand in the center of the room in front of the imposing figures that sat in their Council seats.

Their chairs were large and placed on individual platforms, and they looked at him with stern and disappointed faces. In all honesty, he felt like a child about to be scolded and he hated it.

There was a silence as they all stared him down before one of them finally spoke.

"I believe you know why you're here, Captain Lahar."

Not trusting his voice, he gave a curt nod.

The woman seated next to him continued. "While we believe your actions were justified, and that Fairy Tail is a problem, we cannot leave this country in an uproar. Even if we could somehow manage the backlash of all major guilds among others, Princess Hisui E. Fiore has made it clear that Miss Lucy Heartfilia is an outstanding citizen and mage. She claims that if it wasn't for her, there would've been more than just those seven dragons during the Eclipse Gate debacle and that should be reason enough to overlook her current transgressions. She has also made it clear, that she would have no problem making her opinion on the matter made known to the public, should we ignore her."

The man who spoke first straightened in his seat before speaking again.

"We have also discussed at length that your drive to thwart Fairy Tail has hindered your ability to make clear judgement. We have ignored this in the past, but now it has caused too much damage.

"It has become quite evident that bringing Lucy Heartfilia to a proper trial would cause more trouble than it would solve. Unfortunately, that also means we must make a point not only to release her, but also take action to rectify the situation. So, by Council decision, you will hereby be stripped of your-"

"Wait!"

Lahar jolted and whirled to face the feminine voice that dared to interrupt a Council meeting in such a manor.

The current bane of his existence, the entire reason he was about to be fired, stood panting behind him where she had thrown open the doors.

The blonde had an arm wrapped around her ribs and her legs shook, but there was a determined fire in her eyes that he would have never expected from a woman like her.

Lahar knew she had refused treatment, and from the looks of it she still hadn't received any. It made him wonder why she still hadn't had her injuries tended to, much less why she was here to begin with.

"Miss Heartfilia, what is the meaning of this?" The woman demanded angrily.

Lucy took a shaky step forward, and Lahar fought against the instinct to assist her. He had a feeling that she had run here when she clearly shouldn't have, but it was of her own doing.

"I know that bursting in here is wrong and I'm sorry, but so is the decision you are about to make."

His eyes widened in shock at her words. She was here to defend him?

"Miss Heartfilia, this is a Council matter and you have done enough. If you would please leave-"

"I'm sorry but I can't. Captain Lahar was only doing his duty and doesn't deserve this! If you still wish for him to atone for my wrongdoings to please all the guilds that came to my defense, I have another way." She said with conviction.

The Rune Knight could do nothing but stand there in shock and slight awe at the woman in front of him. To have the audacity to do what she was doing was astounding, and he wasn't sure if he should feel disapproving of her actions or applaud them.

He heard the members of the Council talk quietly amongst themselves for a moment.

"We're listening." Someone declared, and he was starting to question everyone's sanity. Why on Earthland would they agree to listen to what she had to say after all of this?

Lucy stood a little straighter, ignoring the pain that flared in her ribs and looked each Council member in the eye.

"Make him join Fairy Tail."


	3. The Bet

**This chapter is for the wonderful ErzaDLaw! I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

"Stop glaring at me, Lahar."

His eye twitched as he stared balefully at the back of the blonde's head. She had been pointedly ignoring his hateful gaze the entire journey so far, instead taking great interest in the scenery out the window as it passed by.

Lucy sighed and turned to face him, but he continued glaring.

"Look, I know you see think this is worse than death itself, but I think it will be good for you. If you put up with being a Fairy Tail mage for a year, you can go right back to Era and continue on with life as it was. You can go right back to your job."

"You don't seem to understand, Miss Heartfilia. I have to live my life for the next year doing something and being with people that I loathe with every fiber of my being. I was prepared to lose my job. I would've preferred it, honestly." He said, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

Lucy gave him a small smile. "I understand that more than you think, actually. But you need to understand something about Fairy Tail."

"I highly doubt that, but what would that be?"

"I'll tell you about it someday. Maybe." She shifted in her seat and looked him in the eye. "Right now, all you see us as is a group of reckless idiots. What you don't see is that we're a family. Fairy Tail accepts everyone with open arms. You hurt one of us, you've hurt us all. We support each other, we take care of each other. Yes, the majority of us are a little crazy, but that just makes everything better."

Lahar kept her gaze for a moment. She spoke with conviction and he couldn't help but scoff.

"You're all delusional."

It was her turn to glare at him.

"You know what? If you would just loosen up a little, let us in a little bit, maybe you would learn a thing or two!"

He rolled his eyes. "And what exactly would you all teach me, pray tell?"

"How to be yourself! Your true self! You will learn about who you really are, and you know what? I guarantee that we will accept you for whoever you turn out to be! You will learn what a family is really about!" She declared, her small hands clenched into tight fists.

But she didn't stop there. She rose to her feet, her fists on her hips, to look down at him with fiery brown eyes.

"I know you will learn these things! I just know it! Even if you keep us all at arm's length, even if you push us away, I bet you will discover who we really are. I bet you will learn things about us and yourself that you'd never expect! I bet that you will learn to love us, even if you don't realize you do."

Lahar rose to his feet, easily towering over the fuming blonde. "I think you couldn't be any more wrong if you tried."

He expected her to back up, even a little, at their new proximity but she remained firm. Her expression and stance unwavering in defiance.

"What if I'm right?" She asked seriously, as though she believed what she said would indeed happen. Which it absolutely would not.

"Then by all means, I'll stay a member of Fairy Tail." He said with equal seriousness, knowing without a doubt he would never lose this little wager. "But what if you're wrong?"

He watched as her eyes became thoughtful, pondering his words.

"Then I will leave Fairy Tail."

A flash of golden light startled Lahar, and he tensed awaiting an attack.

There, standing next to the arguing pair was a tall man in a pristine black suit, red tie, and sunglasses. His hair was a bright orange and was pointed in places that made it look like he had animal-like ears…

The man ignored his presence completely, moving to grasp the small blonde's shoulders and giving her a slight shake. Lahar was about to question his sudden appearance and ask that he removed his hands from his traveling companion, he may not like the woman but he was still a gentlemen and women were not to be manhandled like this, but the man spoke first rather urgently.

"You cannot be serious!" He growled.

Lucy sighed, taking a step back and smiling at him. "I'm completely serious, Loke. I'm confident that I will be right, so there is nothing to worry about."

"You can't know for sure! I know how much Fairy Tail means to you. What if you're wrong? You know you can't go back on your word. What if you really had to leave?" Loke asked, finally acknowledging the ex-knight's presence with a heated glare.

"At least I'd have tried. I want people to see us for who we are, Loke." She smiled sadly at the both of them, before turning to what Lahar was now realizing was one of her Spirit's questioningly. "How are you here on your own like this, anyway? We haven't renewed our contract yet."

The Spirit smiled brightly, looking proud. "My case is a little different, Princess. I've promised to be by your side and protect you for life, remember? Nothing short of death would separate this love."

Lahar was rather confused at this point. Where they together? It would be rather strange for a Celestial mage to have a romantic relationship with someone who was bound to serve them.

Lucy lightly smacked his arm. "Quit being a pervy lion!"

Loke raised his hands in surrender with an unapologetic grin that turned into a frown when her face fell.

"Do you know… are they mad at me?" She asked quietly.

He concluded that they were in fact not a couple, but now he was confused as to who would be angry at her and why. Something niggled in the back of his mind, but he brushed it off to continue listening to their conversation. It seemed as the both of them had forgotten he was still standing there next to them.

Loke's face softened and he gathered Lucy into a tight hug.

"Of course not, Princess. They are all aware of what happened and are patiently waiting for you to call them to renew their contracts. Even if you had done something terrible, we all love you so much we would still stand by your side. None of us has ever had such a wonderful master, and we would never let you go so easily." He stepped back and chuckled. "There is one Spirit that you should call as soon as possible, however. In a warm Jacuzzi. With rose petals. And candles. And maybe a wetsuit."

Lucy shuddered, but Lahar suddenly realized what they were discussing. She had warned him that her contracts would be broken upon her arrest.

Lucy looked at her Spirit with a watery smile, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"I will summon you all as soon as I get settled back home. Please tell the others how much I love them and appreciate them for understanding."

Loke bowed and kissed her hand. "Of course, Princess." And he disappeared back to his own realm.

Lucy turned back to him, eyes still watery yet determined. "So, that is the deal. If you truly become a Fairy in the next year you are stuck here, you will stay a Fairy. And if you don't, I will leave the guild."

She stuck her hand out. "Deal?"

Hey eyed her warily for a moment, before grasping her smaller hand in his and shaking it. "Deal."

They both nodded to themselves and returned to their seats, settling into silence for the remainder of the journey home.

Completely unaware of the small bluenette relaying their conversation to the even smaller old man a few compartments over.


	4. Stick-Ass

Lucy stood in front of the guild, trying not to roll her eyes at the man by her side. He was obviously nervous, trying to hide his fidgeting and remain composed.

In all honesty, he was failing miserably.

"Lahar, what did I tell you? They will welcome you."

Lahar snorted and muttered something under his breath, but otherwise didn't acknowledge her existence.

She sighed, growing impatient. Master and Wendy were already inside, and based off of the 'Listen up, brats' she had heard him bellow fifteen minutes prior, she could confidently guess that he had already informed every one of the situation. She'd already tried reasoning with him that since they already knew he was coming and there weren't any fits thrown, everything would be just fine. She'd also tried, bribing, begging, pleading, and ordering, but the man refused to take another step forward.

With no other alternative, force would have to be used.

Squaring her shoulders, Lucy gripped his arm with both hands and tugged him forward.

"Get your hands off of me!" He demanded, but his words and harsh tone fell on deaf ears.

It took more strength than she would like to admit, especially when he started fighting back. He didn't fight her very hard, she noted. At least she knew he would never lay a hand on her.

The second Lucy entered the guild pulling the struggling man with her, the entire building went silent.

Well, almost.

"Shit, Luce! Watch out!"

In hindsight, entering a guild notorious for welcoming it's mages with flying furniture with her back turned wasn't the wisest choice.

What happened next was a blur. One moment, her eyes were closing in preparation for impact, and the next she was laying on her back, a heavy weight bearing down on her body.

Lucy opened her eyes to find herself staring into the most beautiful shade of violet she had ever seen. Heat rose to her cheeks when she realized the position they were in. He was laying on top of her, arms bracing himself on either side of her head. One knee was wedged rather tightly against the apex of her thighs, while the other was stretched out to the side, keeping his balance.

Pink was dusting his cheeks as well, she noted, and he was staring at her rather intensely, as if he was pondering something.

After what felt like an eternity, when she knew it had to have only been less than a minute, the familiar sound of bickering snapped them out of their odd trance.

"Look what you did, Flame Dick!"

"Me? You were the one who threw a table at me first, you perverted popsicle!"

The sound of two foreheads smacking together in preparation for a fight reached her ears. Really, it was sad how often this happened for her to _know_ this sound without even having to look.

"You wanna go, Ashtray?"

"It's fucking on, slush-for-brains!"

There was a loud smack, followed by two groans of pain.

"That's enough!"

Lahar leapt off of her as though his life depended on it, hauling her with him roughly by the arm, and letting go as if her skin burned to the touch.

He really knew how to woo a woman. Either way, she gave him a small smile and a quiet thanks, before focusing her attention on her friends.

Erza stood before a cowering Natsu and Gray with a terrifying scowl, which brightened to a friendly smile the moment their eyes met.

"Lucy! Welcome back!"

Lucy strode to her friend and stepped into her warm embrace. "It's good to be here."

She pulled away and they grinned at each other before focusing on the tiny guild master, who was standing on top of the bar.

"Welcome home, Lucy." He smiled at her and she smiled back. He shifted his gaze to the figure still standing by the doors, and she turned to face him as well.

"Well, Lahar. Since you are to be joining our guild I just have a few things to go over with you, if you will follow me to my office."

Lahar nodded and trailed behind him up the stairs and into his office, not looking at any of the mages who were watching him like a hawk.

Lucy sighed, it was so nice to be back home.

Home. She looked around at her nakama and the reality of the bet they had made hit her hard. If she lost this bet, she would have to leave her home.

Her thoughts were broken as an overly heated arm wrapped around her shoulders and steered her over to the bar.

"Hey Natsu!" She beamed at him, but her smile slowly faded as she took in the uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "What…?"

"I knew I should've never let you go off without me!" He practically growled, and she felt her irritation spike.

"Natsu! I'm fine! Everything is just fine. I don't need you to always jump in and rescue me all of the time!"

His onyx eyes narrowed. "Fine? Dammit, Luce! You were injured and arrested!"

Lucy's anger simmered down into guilt. "Yeah…but..." Her voice was timid and weak. She hated this. Why could she never accomplish anything on her own? Why couldn't she be more like the others on her team? Stronger. Just…better.

Natsu's expression softened immediately at the sound of her voice. He didn't mean to make her feel bad, he had just been so worried about her!

"Luce, stop what you're thinking right now. You still got the job done. Yeah, you got arrested, but you got out of it. And you managed to save Captain Stick-Ass's job. If it would've been anyone else, they would've let him get fired." He said, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

She knew she would most likely regret asking, but she couldn't help it.

"Captain Stick-Ass?"

Natsu grinned, looking at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah! 'Cause he walks around like he's got a big stick shoved up is ass!"

Despite the assessment being crude, she couldn't help but see the truth, and ended up curled into the Dragon Slayer's side laughing uproariously.

He smiled widely at her mirth, truly happy to have made her feel better after unintentionally making her question her own abilities.

After she had calmed down, Natsu left to go pick a fight with Gray, and she looked up to find Mira standing in front of her behind the bar.

She reared back in surprise. "Gah! Mira, you scared me!"

Mira giggled, the sparkle in her bright blue eyes were unnerving and wholly familiar. "I'm sorry, Lucy. Strawberry smoothie?"

Before she could even nod, a smoothie was placed in front of her. Even though she knew what was coming, she dove right in, almost moaning aloud as she sucked some of the pink frothy liquid from the straw.

"So, you and Natsu, huh?"

Lucy blanched and choked on the beverage. "Mavis, no! How many times do I have to tell you we are just friends!"

The silver-haired barmaid pouted in disappointment for less than a minute before looking back at the blonde with a knowing grin.

She leaned over the bar, resting her chin in one of her dainty hands, and Lucy cringed.

"Hmm, ok. But don't think I didn't see the way Captain Yummy protected you without even thinking about it. And then the way you two stared dreamily into each other's eyes."

The blonde arched a brow. "Captain Yummy?"

Mira ignored her, staring wistfully at the ceiling with hearts in her eyes. "Delicate heart shaped face, violet eyes, and bright blonde hair. Or his longer more masculine face with dark green hair, and big dark brown eyes!"

Lucy groaned, slamming her face into the bar, and once more for good measure.

Just what had she gotten herself in to!

 **I'm not sure if I've mentioned Lahar's hair color yet, and if I have I'm sorry. I just looked it up again, and read that it is a dark green when I thought it was black. Oops. Oh well, I actually like the thought of dark green hair and purple eyes better.**

 **Until next time!**


	5. Comforter Confinement

**I'm so sorry for my absence. I have no real explanation other than the fact that depression has been kicking my ass. I am slowly but surely trudging through it.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has fav/followed/reviewed!**

 **I promise my other stories will be updated soon!**

"Yes."

"No. Absolutely not."

"It's a rite of passage."

"It's highly inappropriate."

"You do realize where we are, right?"

"It's barely six in the evening!"

"You do realize where we are right?"

Lahar bit back a groan and rubbed his temples at the infuriatingly persistent woman beside him.

Lucy shifted a bit on her barstool, crossing her legs and giving him a charming smile.

"Oh come on. It's just a few shots. Everyone is having a blast but you, and this party is _for_ you."

He sighed, glaring at the line of shots in front of him. He didn't understand why the guild would throw a party for someone who blatantly despised them. Yet here they were, drinking and having fun, clapping him on the back whenever anyone passed him.

"Why would you people throw me a party, anyway?" He asked.

Her brown eyes softened a little. "We always throw a party for new members to welcome them to the family."

Lahar scoffed, but grabbed the first shot, knocking it back and ignoring her cheers.

Realizing how badly he actually needed a drink after everything that had happened recently, he downed the rest of them rather quickly.

"There. Satisfied?" He said curtly, slamming the last empty shot glass down on the bar.

Lucy squealed and clapped excitedly, nodding rapidly with a bright smile. Her cheeks were dusted pink, and he wondered how she was still forming coherent sentences with how much she had already consumed.

She spun on her stool, leaning over the bar and waving the silver-haired barmaid over. "Mira! We both need another round!"

Lahar grabbed the blonde and pulled her back to her seat. "Absolutely not."

"Lahar," She whined, pouting. "This is a party! Loosen up!"

Keeping a restricting arm around her waist, he sighed heavily and resisted the urge to slam his face into the nearest hard surface.

"It's been a long day. I would like to retire for the evening if you wouldn't mind." He said, keeping his voice neutral.

The blonde shrugged, wiggling out of his grip. "Do what you want."

Lahar watched, incredulous, as she turned and snagged another drink from the barmaid along with another line of shots. She knocked them back like a professional, and all he could do is stare while he wondered how such a little thing like her could have such a tolerance.

Feeling his gaze, Lucy turned while slurping at a frothy looking pink beverage, raising a slender brow in question.

He gaped at her for a moment, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spread from his stomach to his chest, dropping his cold exterior for a moment.

He eyed her flushed cheeks, how she had thrown her long golden hair into a sloppy bun. How she had a little bit of pizza sauce from earlier smudged on the corner of her mouth, and wondered how in the world she still managed to look so beautiful.

The second he snapped out of his trance and realized his thoughts, he reached over and grabbed the nearest drink he saw, not even caring if it was in someone's hands, and downed it in one go.

They stared at each other for a full minute, before her brown eyes widened in realization.

"Oooooh. Right. Yurrr staying with me." She slurred, hopping off her stool and wobbling to the exit.

Lahar followed right behind her, resisting the urge to groan as he watched look both ways in confusion.

"Oh waiiiiit." She turned, grinning at him lopsidedly. "Loookeeee." She sang.

He waited for her to pull out a key, but jumped back in surprise when he showed up in a flash of light.

The orange-haired Spirit scooped up his master and beckoned him to follow.

"Pretty kitty." Lucy cooed, petting his spikey hair.

Lahar eyed them warily. "Does this happen often?"

Loke turned his head as they walked, ignoring his master's coos and pets, "Not at all, actually. But when she does get completely wasted, she's extra affectionate…if you can't tell."

"I see."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, until they reached her place. It wasn't too bad, he supposed, besides all the pink.

He watched as Loke tucked the blonde into her bed, wrapping her comforter so tightly around her that she couldn't move.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, as she twitched around shouting to be set free.

The lion chuckled as he gathered a few blankets and a pillow from a closet, leading him to the living room.

"Do you want her glomping you in your sleep?" He asked with a raised brow, setting the couch cushions aside and pulling out the mattress.

"I'm unsure what that means, but I would assume not."

Loke shook his head, eyes filled with mirth. "Don't worry. She'll whine for a little while and then pass out."

Almost on cue, the blanket burrito on the bed stopped moving and let out a high pitched keening sound.

"Good luck with that." Loke smiled, handed him the blankets, and disappeared.

Lahar tried to ignore the pitiful blonde as much as he was able while he made up his bed and gathered his night clothes from the bag one of her Spirits delivered earlier that day. Once he was dressed in a simple pair of sweats and a T-shirt, he locked the doors and windows, turned off the lights, and then slipped under the covers.

"I'm bliiiiind." The intoxicated Spirit mage cried from her confinement, and he tried. He really did.

Laughter bubbled out before he could stop it, and as she joined in, he couldn't help but laugh harder.

When his mirth finally died out, he sighed and whipped the tears from his cheeks, before getting more comfortable.

"Goodnight, Miss Heartfilia."

"Night yummy stick ass."

"Huh?"

Instead of answers, he got snores. So with a weary sigh, he made himself comfortable and drifted off into a restless slumber.

}{}{}{

"Lahaaaaaar."

"Hmmf"

"Sweet Mavis. Loke? Lahar?" There was a pause. "Anybody?"

Lahar groaned, opening up his eyes and hissing at the bright sunlight that filtered into the room.

He was not a morning person. And whatever that loud noise was, was making him pretty damn angry. As did most things that came in contact with him in the morning hours.

Doranbolt had even given him a coffee mug for Christmas that said 'Don't talk to me, I'll break your face.'

He used it religiously.

A shriek had him bolting up and out of bed, instantly on alert. Well, as much of alert as he could get.

"I am a fucking mage of Fairy Tail. A fucking comforter should not be able to defeat me so damn easily!"

He followed the voice, stumbling along and not really comprehending what was going on, until he reached an open door.

Staring at the thrashing bundle of blankets, it all came back to him, and he couldn't help but think that this was justice.

The thrashing suddenly stopped, and there was a whimper, followed by pitiful whining. "I need to pee."

Taking pity on the blonde, he walked over and pulled out one of the folded edges… only to be trampled as she made a bee line for the bathroom.

"Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go." The blonde muttered to herself as she sprinted away.

Lahar just laid there on the floor staring at the ceiling, contemplating his entire existence.

When Lucy finished her business, she walked over to him and bent at the waist to peer at his face.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

In all honesty, he was fighting sleep once again, but he shrugged.

"Stretching."

"Oh. Ok." She smiled at him.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. "Well when you're done with that, we'll eat some breakfast. We have a busy day today."

He cocked a brow. "Doing what?"

Her smile turned sickly sweet and a chill ran down his spine.

"It's about time I summon my Spirits to reestablish our contracts, and I know they're just dying to meet you."


	6. Dazed Blondes and Terrifying Beasts

"Thank you so much for understanding, Gemini. You can go back now if you want." Lucy said to her Spirits as they lazily floated in front of her.

"Piri."

"Piri."

The two blue creatures did a cheery little spin, before disappearing back to their realm in a puff of white smoke.

Lucy bit back an amused snigger as she glanced to the man standing stiffly behind her.

She knew he was trying to act like he wasn't even remotely anxious of her Spirit's reactions to him being there. She also knew that there was only one Spirit he needed to be cautious of, and that she was the one who was going to receive the brunt of her wrath. Sure, he'd probably get swept up by the current with her, but she wouldn't be aiming for him.

Would she tell him all of this?

Nope.

It was simply too much fun watching him squirm.

That and she was a little angry with him. And at herself.

It baffled her how easy it was for him to rile her up. To make her so desperate to defend her pride and get him to see that she was right.

It puzzled her and left her ashamed of herself for throwing all self-control by the wayside and getting in his face.

Not only that but she was afraid. Completely terrified that she would have to leave her family, the only family she had. As a Celestial mage, her promises where bound to her magic. If she broke a promise, she'd risk losing it all.

If she couldn't get Lahar to love Fairy Tail, she had two options. Either leave her family, or break her promise and risk losing her Spirits. Both options were painful and soul wrenching. Lucy would much rather die an excruciating death than choose between them.

But how could she get him to love her family, even just a little bit?

He hated them.

She understood to an extent why he hated them so much.

And to an extent she agreed with him. Fairy Tail could be destructive to a fault, she knew this.

However, they also did so much good.

She just couldn't fathom how he could harbor so much hatred towards a group of people who would gladly lay down their lives to keep even one innocent person unharmed. Who would not hesitate to bring justice for the wronged and innocent. Anyone in Fairy Tail would fight tooth and nail, until their very last breath, if by doing so would insure their family's safety.

How could he hate a group of people like that?

}{}{}{

Lahar watched as the petite blonde became lost in her thoughts before him. She seemed to have forgotten what they were doing, or that he was in her presence.

No matter, the longer she could procrastinate in summoning her last Spirit, the better.

In all accounts, he was the most nervous of this Spirit. He was warned on multiple occasions the night prior to watch out for this one, and to maybe bring along a life-jacket. Whatever that meant.

As she dived further down into her inner musings, Lahar was left to wonder what she could possibly be thinking about to produce the facial expressions she was making.

She looked worried, almost fearful, and saddened. By what, he had no inkling of an idea.

But it was beginning to bother him. This mixture of emotion etched on to her features seemed wrong somehow.

In the short time he'd been forced to remain at her side, he had only seen her upset over something once before. That was when she was initially arrested. Afterwards was a mixture of determination, stubbornness, joy, and mirth. Not this downcast look, shadowed eyes, and deep trembling frown.

Therefore, while he did want to stall this final encounter for as long as possible, the uncomfortable feeling tightening his chest propelled him to take action.

"Miss. Heartfilia." He tried, huffing when she did not so much as twitch.

Lahar took a step forward and tried again a little louder. "Miss. Heartfilia."

Once again, there was no reaction or indication that she had heard him.

Irritation clouded judgement for a moment and he took the remaining steps to close the gap between them.

"Lucy!" He all but yelled, jabbing his finger into her ribs.

Brown eyes snapped to his face as she yelped in either surprise or pain, and she slapped his hand away.

"What the hell was that for?" She cried, crossing her arms under her bust.

Lahar resisted the urge to roll his eyes, walking backwards a few steps to stand by the tree he was near before this interruption.

"You seemed to be dozing off and did not react to my calling of your name. I was simply bringing you down from the clouds."

He knew the moment she realized he was right, because her face instantly flushed to a shade of red that uncannily resembled a ripe tomato.

"Oh." She said in surprise. "Sorry. Just thinking about…things."

The green-haired man raised a brow, but remained silent, thankful that she kept her thoughts to herself because he really did not wish to know. That much.

"Right." Lucy cleared her throat, nodding to herself and walked to the river's edge.

The temporary Fairy Tail mage watched in veiled curiosity as she squatted down, leaning forward and sticking the end of a golden key into the water.

The blonde twisted the key in the water as she spoke, voice clear and commanding. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer- Aquarius!"

A bright blue magic circle erupted around the key as the water began to churn and crash against the banks.

He copied her movements as she scurried back a few steps, confused as to why she was acting so different towards this Spirit when she seemed so laid back with the rest.

Out of a geyser of water an ethereal mermaid rose with a battle cry, swinging an urn high over her head before bringing it back down to hold against her side.

The Spirit was breathtaking. Regal and fierce in her beauty, and the way she held herself told him she was someone to be respected. The way-

"It's about damned time, brat!" She barked harshly to his utter astonishment, her eyes cold and unforgiving.

Her hard expression was enough for even him to gulp and take a few more steps back, but he was surprised to find that Lucy held her head up high.

"I'm so sorry, Aquarius. I-"

"Oh save your crap, brat. I don't want to hear it! How stupid could you be? Getting arrested?! How could you be that reckless, knowing what you could lose?"

Lahar was in shock, watching a Spirit talk back to their master in this way.

The blonde before him tried to remain strong as she was reprimanded, but he could see the way her hands trembled and the way her eyes watered.

"I-I know, and I'm sorry. It-"

"Ungrateful brat! That's not good enough!"

It happened before he could register what was going on. Time seemed to slow down as the mermaid raised her urn.

Lucy looked at him with wide eyes, somehow already wielding the oddest whip he had ever seen. It looked as though it was made up of water and electricity combined, flowing smoothly around his waist tightly just as an enormous body of water slammed into them.

He had just enough time to suck in a deep breath before his head was submerged, and he caught a brief glimpse of Lucy doing the same.

All he could hear was the water roaring around him as they were swept away with the strong current.

Everything was blurry under the water and he could vaguely make out Lucy's figure at the other end of the glowing whip, which he was grasping as tightly as he was able. He was grateful that she had thought of him, because even though he would never admit it aloud, he could not swim.

Just as his lungs started to scream for oxygen, the wave of water abruptly stopped and washed away. The only evidence that it had been there at all were the wet earth and dripping foliage.

Lahar landed in a gasping heap, grunting as something landed heavily across his abdomen.

He lifted his head at the sound of sputtering coughs and found Lucy sprawled on top of him, glaring at her Spirit.

"You good now?" She rasped.

Aquarius shrugged and smirked smugly down at them, but he was taken aback by the affection in her eyes as she looked at her master.

' _This Spirit must be bipolar.'_ He thought to himself in annoyance.

The mermaid shot him a glare as though she had heard him and he gulped, suddenly very afraid that she had.

"Now you listen here, young man. This brat may be ungrateful and nothing but a pain in my tail, but she sure as hell didn't deserve what you did. Think of this little experience as a taste of what will happen if you pull any of that shit again. Understood?" She scolded harshly, and he nodded hastily.

"Tch." She turned her head to look at the blonde on his chest who was still coughing lightly. "Same contract as before, and don't call me for a couple of weeks. I have a date with my _boyfriend._ "

And with that, she disappeared back to her realm.

' _Someone is willingly dating that…that…beast?!'_ He thought in total disbelief.

Lucy deflated on the spot with a sigh, finally having cleared the last of the water from her windpipe, and bringing his attention back to her. Once again she seemed to have gotten lost in her thoughts.

Lahar shifted slightly, fully realizing that he had a soaked, unbelievably attractive, woman on top of him. Her drenched crop top and skirt clung to all of her curves like second skin, and he felt heat rise up the back of his neck all the way to the tips of his ears.

He cleared his throat. "Excuse me?"

Her head lifted and she hummed in question, still half absorbed by her thoughts.

"Would you mind…?" He trailed off, looking pointedly at her.

"Huh?" She glanced around at her surroundings. "Oh!" She squeaked, scrambling off of him and turning red from head to toe.

Lahar sighed, picking himself off of the ground and began the bothersome task of ringing out his hair, which must have come undone while they were being washed away. Thank the Gods that he had spelled his glasses to never fall off unless he intended for them to come off.

She was still sputtering through apologies by the time he was done, and he waved her off. "What's done is done. Now, would you mind retracting your…whip thing? I'd like to return to the apartment and change into a dry set of clothes."

Looking down with wide brown eyes, he watched as she realized that she still had him wrapped up from around the waist and squeaked in embarrassment once more.

Lucy hastily retracted her whip and he watched in slight fascination as it faded away completely, save for the handle, which she attached to her belt next to a normal looking leather whip.

This led to a curiosity all of its own. He truly wondered how she fought with whips of all things, and actually somewhat wanted to see her in action, as whips weren't a common weapon that mages wielded.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he started walking away.

"Um, Lahar?" A small voice called after him and he looked over his shoulder to find her still standing there, dripping on the wet earth.

"Yes?" He asked in slight annoyance. Really he just wanted to change and run a towel through his hair, as he was starting to feel highly uncomfortable and itchy.

"My apartment is that way." She said, pointing in the direction opposite of where he was headed.

Nodding to himself he turned on his heel, quickly walking past her in hopes that she didn't catch the embarrassed flush on his cheeks.

"Right."


	7. A Mission of Interest

**I'm back!**

 **Now that the madness that was Laxus and Lucy Ship Week is over, and everything that has made my life chaotic has calmed down temporarily, I actually had time to sit down and write with a clear head.**

 **I've updated my Bio with some information, and will be updating it again after this is posted. It's somewhat important info, regarding how often I will be updating my stories for the next few months, so if you want to know – go check it out.**

 **I apologize for the lengthy absence and the short chapter. While short, it'll help to get me back into the swing of writing.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

Lucy strode confidently to the table her temporary partner was sitting at in a far corner of the guild drinking his tea, a paper in her hands.

It had been a week since she'd arrived back to the guild, Lahar in tow, and she was tired of sitting around doing nothing.

She had already told her team that she would be taking a few missions alone with the ex-Rune Knight before taking him with them as a full team. Lucy knew that if they did that right off the bat, it would be disastrous. Erza had taken it upon herself to 'condition' Gray and Natsu into causing less damage on jobs after Lucy had sat her down and explained everything she had learned from Mest. The Requip mage had a similar reaction to what she did in her prison cell, and the determination that had flared in her eyes made Lucy gulp.

She did not envy the male members of her team right now.

Living with the man had been…awkward on its best days. They constantly got in each other's way, annoyed one another somehow, or ended up in instresting situations.

Like last Thursday, when she had woken up earlier than normal and walked into the bathroom… completely forgetting she no longer lived alone. He had been naked as the day he was born, about to start the shower, and they had gaped at each other in stunned silence for a full minute, before she turned tail and booked it. She'd spent the next two hours hiding in mortification under her covers, even though he'd taken a relatively short shower…and she'd still needed to pee.

Snapping out of her thoughts as she neared the table, the blonde slapped the mission request down in front of Lahar.

With an exasperated sigh, he turned in his seat to face her, looking decidedly unamused.

"Is there something you need, Miss Heartfilia?" He asked flatly.

Rolling her eyes, she sat down in the seat next to him with a huff.

"We, are going on a mission." She chirped brightly.

Violet eyes widened marginally and she snickered internally.

"Already? I do not think that it would be wise without knowing how I will change the dynamic of the team." He said matter-of-factly, sliding his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. In actuality, he was certain he wouldn't be able to contain himself when seeing the destruction Team Natsu caused as they were causing it.

Lucy smiled, relaxing back in her seat and crossing her arms under her bust. "Already taken care of."

Lahar studied her features with a perfectly blank expression, something he'd had to learn in the line of work he was –had been- in.

"How so?" He asked.

Lucy fiddled with one of the edges of the mission request. "I talked to my team, and they've agreed that it would be best for you and I to pair up on jobs for now."

He studied her for a moment, slowly mulling it over before nodding. "If that is the case, than I guess it is the more tolerable option." He took a small sip of his herbal tea, internally sighing in relief, before glancing at the paper in front of them. "What is that?"

Lucy pushed down the urge to roll her eyes and slid the paper so that it was directly in front of him. "It's a job from the board. I figured something like this would be interesting, and not be as difficult for your first mission as a part of a guild."

Lahar plucked the paper from the table and adjusted his glasses, eyes roving over the words.

 **The Mountain Village Historical Research Facility humbly requests assistance in locating an ancient temple. We have reason to believe it holds something we desperately need to conclude an ancient text that was missing over half of its pages.**

 **45,000 Jewel rewarded for locating the temple.**

 **And added 10,000 Jewel will be rewarded if the temple is explored to alert us of any traps and/or other complications our team would have when they gather information at a later date.**

 **Please meet us at the Facility and speak to Dr. Faron for more information.**

He had to admit that a historical finding sounded beyond intriguing. History, especially ancient history, had always fascinated him. Thinking back, he honestly couldn't remember the last time he had done something in prevalence to his personal interests. This was concerning, and the fact that he'd had to _remember_ that this was something that he loved was deeply concerning.

Had his work really taken over his life that severely?

Closing his eyes, he took a discrete moment to school his features before he slid the request back over to his blonde temporary partner.

"I accept this request. When will we be departing, and for how long?"

Lucy blinked, surprised at how easily he'd accepted. For a moment there she'd thought he would decline the offer and demand to pick a job out himself. And she'd really been hoping he would accept, because she'd had her eye on this request for quite a while. It wasn't the type of job she would bring her team along on, especially not her hotheaded partner. But she wasn't quite ready for another solo job after her last experience, so when she noticed that Team Shadow Gear had surprisingly not taken it yet, she jumped at the chance to snatch it up.

"I'll speak to Mira so she can write us down for the job and call the requester to let them know we are coming. Mountain Village is a three hour train ride, and then a three hour walk. So it would be best to catch a train first thing in the morning if we want to make it there at a reasonable time. From there, we can get a hotel and then get to searching for the temple the next morning. I'm not sure how long it will take, so pack for a week just in case."

Smothering the slight giddiness bubbling in his gut, he nodded his agreement and watched as Lucy rose from her chair and skipped to the bar.

His mind immediately started making a list of things he would pack, including things he should bring for their travels on foot in case of emergency.

This was a stark difference to his life working as a Rune Knight, and he was honestly excited for it. Which shocked him, actually. Lahar didn't think anything about being in this disgrace of a guild would excite him like this.

He almost didn't know how to process the information.

One thing was for sure.

Even if he despised Fairy Tail, he would take advantage of this. At least he was getting _something_ out of being stuck here.


	8. I'm back!

**I don't even know what to say other than I'm so unbelievably sorry for how long I've been absent.**

 **I promise I'm still here! And there is no way in hell I am giving up on my stories.**

 **So much has happened since I moved back to my home town. And I know most of you don't really need to know what's been going on, but I'm pretty open with my struggles as of late, and maybe it will make some of you feel less alone in your own struggles.**

 **If some of you may remember, I have mentioned in the past about depression kicking my ass. I always knew I had depression, but I never realized how bad it really was.**

 **Soon after we moved back I went on antidepressants I thought they were working but I wasn't sure because I had never been on them before. Now, during this time and 2 out of the 3 years I lived in Virginia (when I first started writing fanfiction) I was struggling terribly with self harm.**

 **That should have been my first sign that my antidepressants were in fact not working. Actually, I got worse. The moment I started getting suicidal thoughts I stopped taking them altogether. I made a promise with myself that if I kept self harming that I would go and seek mental help. I couldn't be the mother my boys needed me to be if I was constantly hurting myself (they never witnessed me doing it or the aftermath. I always kept my marks covered because I could never let my babies see that)**

 **But I kept doing it. I would be able to resist the urge for weeks, but when I broke…it was bad.**

 **So I checked myself in to a mental health clinic. I was there for a week. And I am SO glad that I did. You guys..it helped me so much. I was shown coping mechanisms and I was understood without anyone looking at me in pity, or that I was a total nut job. I was finally officially diagnosed, as well as being put on medications specific to my exact diagnosis.**

 **Severe depression disorder, severe anxiety, and PTSD.**

 **This was back in January, and I have only self harmed once since then.**

 **Then it was just adjusting to it all. Fine tuning my dosages and going to therapy once a week.**

 **I am finally getting back to myself now, I started making jewelry and being creative again. I am finally feeling happiness and I never realized that I had rarely felt that way all my life.**

 **So I've been binge reading and trying to catch up on everything I have missed.**

 **And today I had the first true urge to write in almost a year! So I decided to write an absurdly long note to you all, explaining way more than I needed to.**

 **If you read to this point, thank you! And I will be slowly getting back into writing things! I'll hopefully be updating my stories soon, but I may or may not try writing a simple story before jumping right back into my other more complicated stories. Kinda like testing the waters, ya know?**

 **Anyway I'll stop my rambling now.**

 **Oh wait one last thing! I have seen every review that has been posted in my absence and I want to thank every one of you who read my stories, even when they hadn't been updated in such a long time.**

 **Ok, now I'm really done.**

 **Love, Lovely.**


	9. Awkward

**Holy crap I'm uploading a chapter… Alert the media. The end is nigh.**

 **Just kidding. I'm just awful with all my mental issues lately, but im slowly trudging through.**

It took three days to get to Mountain Village by train.

Three.

Whole.

Days.

What was supposed to be only three hours on the train then three hours walking, turned into three whole days thanks to frequent stops due to repairs.

If Lahar wasn't completely silent, he was droning on and on about the mountain's historic background.

Her routine consisted of nap, read, zone out through the window of the train cart, and then be forced to pay attention to whatever it was that he was lecturing her on at the moment.

In a way, it pissed her off. But part of her seemed to understand something. He was spouting history.

It had to be something he loved, to continuously blab on and on about it.

So she reminded herself to be patient. Over and over again.

Normally, she would have flown off the handle about it and _forced him_ to shut his damn mouth.

But the thing about Lahar was that he never _ever_ talked about the things he liked, or was passionate about. And it was obvious to Lucy that he seemed to be passionate about historical facts.

So she kept her mouth shut.

If she was blathering on and on about the constellations and their possible respective keys, she would hope that someone would listen to her instead of become annoyed.

So the three days it took to arrive at Mountain Village, she remained polite and interested, even if it was boring her out of her mind.

Stepping off the train and on to the platform, the pair walked towards the center of town in silence.

Upon reaching the village's center square, they paused.

"So..." Lucy trailed off, feeling unsure of her own voice in the matter.

The dark green haired man turned towards her with a raised brow.

"Yes?"

Shifting her weight, feeling slightly nervous, Lucy spoke what was on her mind.

"We should find lodging first, then we should meet with the requester."

Lahar thought about it for a moment.

While starting directly at their employer would prove quicker, the blond beside him had a point.

A place of lodging would prove beneficial, allowing them a guaranteed place to sleep and store their belongings no matter the outcome.

With a nod he gestured forward. "Very well."

After all, this girl was far more familiar with how missions worked than he was.

He watched as she looked around for a moment before walking.

Lahar loathed to admit it, but the small woman in front of him knew far more about these things that he did. Sure, he knew some of the basics. He also knew how to clean up legal messes revolving around missions. It was his job. What he had been trained to become, learn, and achieve.

A delicate hand on his wrist pulled him, along with his thoughts to a stop.

"We're here." She stated simply.

A small nod told her that he heard what she had said, and without further prompting, she pushed open the door and strode inside.

It was a quaint place. Simple yet homey decorations, lit candles that gave off the fragrance of cinnamon and apples. It was one of those cheap places, but not the ones where you expect everything to be infested in bacteria and semen.

"Either two rooms with a bed, or one room with two beds, please." The blond beside him asked pleasantly once they had reached the front desk.

The stout redheaded woman behind the counter hummed to herself as her emerald eyes scanned the list.

Finally, she looked up at us with an apologetic frown. "I'm so sorry, dears. It seems like the only rooms we have available are single bed rooms. And the cheapest one available is a room with a full sized bed and a tub."

A protest formed on his lips, but before he could word his disapproval, his temporary partner spoke.

"That's fine. Thank you, Miss." She said sweetly.

The woman behind the counter beamed at the blonde young lady before nodding.

"Alrighty then! Your room is room 27, here is your key. Continental breakfast begins at six am sharp and ends at nine am. Checkout will be at around noon."

Taking the key and paper that no doubt stated all the things she just said, Lahar nodded and thanked the woman, before turning on his heel to the elevator.

Lucy jogged over to him seconds before the elevator doors closed.

"So… if you're uncomfortable sharing a bed with me, I have no problem sleeping on the floor, or the pull out if there is one."

The pair remained silent as they stood in the lacrima powered contraption, the taller of the two thinking things over.

While he would normally take her up on that, everything that he had been taught as a man rejected the idea. No matter how much he disliked the petite mage fidgeting beside him, or the situation he was in, he simply could not allow the woman to take the less comfortable option for sleeping arrangements.

The very short elevator ride to the second floor was brought to a halt, and the doors opened.

As the pair walked out and down the hall to their room, Lahar cleared his throat.

"No, that is quite alright. You may take the bed."

Lucy blinked at him in surprise, vaguely aware that she was going through the motions of unlocking their door and stepping inside.

She knew he could be courteous at times, but it always surprised her. Still, she felt guilty about him sleeping on the floor, seeing as there was no pull out in their tiny little room.

It was clean, thank Mavis. The walls were a faded red, the carpet a simple black. A small window with beige curtains was above a bed that took up most of the room. The smallest mini fridge she had ever seen was placed next to the door that led into the small bathroom, consisting of toilet, tub, and sink.

Lucy peered at the bed and gingerly peeled back the brown comforter, sighing in relief at finding no stains or critters.

Well… the bed was big enough.

"Lahar?" She asked, fiddling with her hands.

Lahar looked up from where he had been examining a list of eateries nearby that had been resting on top of the mini fridge, seeing the small woman had her brown eyes averted from his own. "Yes?"

"I was thinking, and hear me out before you say no. The bed is big enough, so if you feel comfortable with it, we could share it."

The tall mage arched a brow at her words, and for some reason he was mulling it over.

He really did not want to sleep on the floor. The carpet was old and quite thin, meaning he would wake up with a back ache if were to sleep on it. Not only that, but he knew that while the place appeared to be tidy, there was still an abundance of microorganisms from all the other travelers who had stayed here in the past just lingering in the fibers. The thought alone had him internally shuddering.

"If it makes you feel any better, we can put some pillows between us…" Lucy offered, suddenly feeling unsure about offering to share the bed in the first place.

It was by far more comfortable than the floor, and they were supposed to do a mission together. She couldn't have her partner stiff as a board the entire time. It was solid reasoning, and yet she was starting to feel embarrassed for even bringing it up.

"Alright." The man nodded, and Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as she was broken from her thoughts.

"We will share the bed, as long as there is a pillow between us and you mention this to no one." He really did not need word getting out. In the short time he had been a part of the guild, he had seen Mira plot countless parings from even the tiniest inclination that they liked each other more than just platonically. If she heard that he and Lucy had willingly shared a bed, she would pounce on it and escape would be futile.

Now that he had agreed, Lucy was struck with the realization that they would be sharing a bed. Yes she was the one who had offered but she hadn't truly grasped what that meant.

They would need to store their things and head to the requester's house, get dinner, and then…well and then things would get awkward.

 **I am so sorry that I haven't updated anything, in like a year. The twins started preschool, so I have two days out of the week where it is just me and my youngest, making it easier to write and get other things done.**

 **Bear with me, I'm slowly but surely coming back guys!**


End file.
